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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. track — a song
  3. can — to be able to
  4. charge — in control
  5. row — a line
  6. date — the fruit
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. track — a path
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. land — a country
  16. can — a tin
  17. plane — a tool
  18. row — to paddle
  19. charge — a price
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. can — a tin
  22. land — to come down
  23. track — to keep track
  24. charge — electricity

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com